Paris
by WanderlustandFreedom
Summary: Short oneshot. Based off of a collection of songs I have reserved for LadyNoir. After Nino releases a popular song, Marinette is torn between supporting her friend and defending her status as single. Grammer checked, un-betaed. Ladynoir. May fall in line more with season one. Now updated with Beta Version.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors note: I do not own any of the songs listed in this fic. I just think they express the couple very well. This is not meant to have a defined plot, only tell a short story of something that happened. Basic grammar check, but no beta-read. I do not own Miraculous Ladybug.**

At first, the album had been super cute. Like, adorable-type cute.

It was Nino's very first attempt at mixing words with music. He'd gotten together one afternoon with another hobbyist who wrote songs. Together they had penned a bunch of lyrics, and then Nino had found some people to sing them for an album.

Marinette had first heard the song included in his mix during class. He had been showing Adrien and Alya, and she had been privileged enough to be included in that mix. Adrien, as the best friend, got the first listen before Alya got to steal Nino's headphones and listen. Then, Nino held out his headset and asked: "Want to listen, Marinette?"

She accepted with a smile. As she slid the headphones over her head and started to listen, Nino shifted his weight and twisted his hands nervously.

They were love songs, which was adorable. One was called 'Closer' and was sung by a group of mixologists who Nino was close friends with. They were called 'The Chainsmokers' on the album, and actually sang a couple of songs. Another song was called 'Lucky Strike' by 'Maroon 5', another music group Nino was acquainted with. Nino knew lots of talented individuals. It Marinette a while to get over some of the sexualized messages of a couple songs, but the beat was good and clear, as always. One of Marinette's immediate hits was called: 'Clarity', by Sam Tsui and Kurt Schneider.

Then, hidden at the bottom of the album list was a song called 'Paris' by the Chainsmoker people from 'Closer'. When Marinette hit the song, four vibrating chords lit her heart into a bonfire, and then her bloodstream started to flow into her ears. "We were staying in Paris." The song opened. "To get away from your parents, and I thought 'wow'."

When Marinette handed Nino's headset back, a smile was frozen on her face. "I love them all. Especially Clarity and Paris."

"Oh?" Nino asked, giving her a nervous smile.

"Yeah," Marinette confirmed with a bright smile. "When this comes out, it'll be huge." She patted his shoulder. Alya and Adrien agreed fervently.

"Well." Nino cleared his throat. "It's just, those two songs, and most of these songs actually, were inspired by Ladybug and Chat Noir and their relationship."

Marinette choked. "Relationship?" She stammered.

"Yeah. I know it's not confirmed or anything, but I admire their teamwork and diligence. So I wrote about them. You know: 'if we go down then we go down together' and 'fight fear for the selfish pain it was worth it every time." Nino explained. He straightened up a little under the approving looks from Alya and Adrien. Marinette felt shocked.

"Aye, ahem, exactly how many songs are inspired by Ladybug and Chat Noir?" She asked sweetly.

"Closer, Paris, Lucky Strike, Clarity, Girlfriend, When Can I See You Again, and part of the Sabrina Carpenter Paris track," Nino answered. "What do you think?" He asked.

Marinette felt her smile stretch. "Oh, oh that's great!" She exclaimed. "You've done such a good job!"

"Yeah. I'll totally re-gram your album when you release it!" Adrien said.

Nino let out a deep breath. He held out a fist for Adrien to bump. "Thanks, bro." He said. "I've been really worried the last few weeks. Scared out of my wits. What if Ladybug and Chat Noir don't like them?"

"They will, bro. Totally. You've got some serious talent." Adrien confirmed. Marinette felt like swallowing her entire Adam's apple.

"Yeah, Nino. Your songs are fabulous. I'm sure Ladybug and Chat Noir will love them." Alya said. She elbowed Marinette in the side. A wide, uneasy smile spread across her face quickly.

"Ah, yeah! Yeah, totally! I'm sure Ladybug and Chat Noir will adore all the work you put into them!" Marinette spat out quickly. Her mouth felt like it had before her mom had washed it out with soap a few years back. She kept her smile plastered on her face as all her friends watched her curiously.

"Did you guys do the English assignment? Can I see your responses for number four?" She asked quickly to change the subject. As Alya, Nino, and Adrien began to fish in their backpacks for the relevant paper, Marinette opened her purse to give Tikki a quick worried look. Her kwami rolled her eyes and snuggled back to sleep amidst the cookies.

* * *

Nino's song came out. It broke through into popular spheres all on its own, but radio stations everywhere adopted the top tracks after Adrien re-grammed it and shared a link on Twitter. The lead single, Paris, hit number five on charts in Paris. At first, Marinette convinced herself to keep calm. Nino didn't reveal the inspiration for the song, and no one had to know that she and her partner had inspired the song. Then, Alya wrote a blog post about the album:

"You may be surprised to know a leading Parisian hit sang by the Chainsmokers with music from Nino Lahiffe was inspired by our favorite cat/bug team and the dynamics displayed in their partnership! Leading singles from the album include 'Paris', 'Closer', and 'Clarity' came from inspiration garnered by the city's protectors. And it makes sense, just look at the lyrics:

'We were staying in Paris… and I thought: Wow. If I could take this in a shot right now… Out on a terrace, I don't know if it's fair but I thought how could I let you fall by yourself, while I'm wasted with someone else.'

According to one of the songwriters and the mixologist himself, the 'someone else' is not referring to the idea that Chat or Ladybug may have a significant other in their day-to-day lives(Though that is possible with as little as we know about them), but the idea that they put their lives on the line and some days it is a possibility that "if they sacrifice themselves to keep the other safe, they may not be able to go home to family and friends that day". Wow, harsh statement, right?

Of course, the chorus of the lead single is also entirely suggestive to LB and CN. 'If we go down then we go down together. They'll say you could do anything, they'll say that I was clever. We'll get away with everything, let's show them we are better." What better way to describe the fight against the evil Hawkmoth? Both Chat and Ladybug are extremely clever, and they've already proven that together, they can do anything.

Lyrics from Clarity that pertain to the duo include: "Fight fear for the selfish pain; it was worth it every time… You are the piece of me I wish I didn't need, chasing relentlessly; I still fight and I don't know why. And, of course, the infamous chorus."

Closer is more inspired by Nino's real-life romance, but several parts of it still pertain to Ladybug and Chat Noir including: "I know it breaks your heart", and "You look as good as the day I met you."

Nino Lahiffe's first album is a real catch. Check it out for all of it's amazing, in-depth songs and stay tuned for more information, Ladybloggers!'

The song blew up.

Everyone everywhere seemed to be adopting it as 'the official LadyNoir song'. Magazines reported it, TV Shows talked about it, and every night Marinette fell asleep listening to someone in Paris playing it too loud. Where was Officer Rodger when you needed him? The radio played it over and over. At school, it was all anyone could talk about. Their desk was always crowded as everyone tried to talk to Nino. Marinette was really happy for her friend, but she wished he'd stuck to writing about Alya and himself, not her and Chat.

Some good friend she was, right?

* * *

Ladybug landed on the top of a flat-roofed building overlooking the Louvre. Down in front of the museum, people were dancing. Red solo cups, which was apparently an American trend, were being passed around. The drinks were a variety of soda-pops, but she wouldn't put it past them to lace their drinks.

It was nighttime, and most of Paris was asleep. She wasn't because she had a hankering to get out into the open air. And to be fair, it did feel wonderful to be able to take a deep breath and reset outside. The song had been reverberating in her skull. Paris, Paris, Paris. Over and over.

Someone landed on the rooftop behind her, even though it wasn't much of a guess who. How many people actually had the capability to land on rooftops. Yeah, a solid two, not counting akumas. She turned around. Chat would have blended into the shadows if not for his blonde hair and pale skin. She smiled tiredly at him. "Evening, Chaton."

"It is evening." He confirmed, stalking forward with a curious look. "Very late evening, actually. Don't Ladybugs need their beauty sleep?"

Marinette laughed. "If that were true, you'd be fighting the night akumas by yourself." She flicked his bell half-heartedly. "I am tired though," She told him.

"Euro for your thoughts?" He asked, pouncing upon the guardrail of the building and looking down at the crowds below. Several people noticed him and began to wave excitedly. Chat waved back, then turned his attention to Ladybug.

"Something a little silly, I guess." Ladybug murmured. Down below, the beat cut and a new song spliced into the tune. Ladybug let out a colossal groan and buried her head in her hands. "I hate this song!" She complained.

Chat jumped back like he'd been shocked. He frowned sadly at her, tail twitching. "You do?" He asked.

Marinette sighed. "No, I don't - the person who wrote it… he put a lot of effort into it, I just wish he hadn't written it about us."

"Ruined your vibe?"

"Yeah. And it's so overplayed now too." Ladybug sighed and rubbed her eyes.

"I happen to love it." Chat said, smiling. "May I have this dance?"

Ladybug frowned. "To this song? The 'official LadyNoir Song'?" She made air quotes.

Chat extended his hand. The moonlight glinted off his hair as he smiled at her. She examined his buckteeth and listened to his bell tinkle softly. Then she smirked and took his hand. Chat jumped off the barrier.

" _We were staying in Paris."_ He smiled. " _To get away from your parents and I thought: Wow."_ He took both her hands and began to swing her in and out. The crowd's noise levels lowered to a dull roar in her ears. He let go of one hand, slipped it behind her back, and twisted her into a pretzel under his arm. Ladybug laughed, and then sang along with him, softly.

" _If I could take this in a shot right now, I don't think that we could work this out."_

" _Out on a terrace."_ Chat whirled their arms above their heads. He took one hand, spun her into his grasp, lead her in a quick circle and let her go again. Ladybug examined his footwork.

"You know Triple Step?"

"Could ask you how you know what that is." Chat laughed.

Ladybug furrowed her brow. She took both of Chat's hands. "Try me." She demanded.

As the song continued to play down below, Chat and Ladybug danced. Ladybug was clumsy, but she had a good grasp of the concept and was determined. Nothing Chat tried made her falter. By the time the song had gotten to the part about cigarettes and the internet, Ladybug had forgotten why she hated it in the first place.

They were at least ten stories in the air under a full moon and a partially cloudy sky. Two superheroes who were dancing to their ship song who were not dating. Marinette had a feeling she'd wonder about this later.

When the song ended, Chat took her hand from where he'd spun her in a quick circle and kissed her palm. Ladybug couldn't stop the blush that spread across her cheeks. Sure, it was common behavior for him, but there was something about the moonlight and his eyes that had it seem more sincere than usual. She smiled.

"Goodnight m'lady." He said.

"Sleep well, Chaton." She bid him. He pulled his baton out from behind his back and with a final salute whipped away. As soon as he was out of sight, Ladybug whipped out her yo-yo and zipped down under the crowd. They cheered and screamed as she zoomed back into the air to return home. As she climbed back into her room, she was humming a very familiar tune.

Her phone buzzed with Alya exclaiming the latest breaking news: Ladybug and Chat had totally danced to their song over by the Louvre! Marinette smiled softly and sang to herself as she tried to contain her friend's excitement.

 _If we go down, then we'll go down together. They'll say he could do anything, and they'll say that she was clever._


	2. Chapter 1 Beta

**Authors note: I do not own any of the songs listed in this fic. I just think they express the couple very well. This is not meant to have a defined plot, only tell a short story of something that happened. Basic grammar check, but no beta-read. I do not own Miraculous Ladybug.**

At first, the album had been super cute. Like, adorable-type cute.

It was Nino's very first attempt at mixing words with music. He'd gotten together one afternoon with another hobbyist who wrote songs. Together they had penned a bunch of lyrics, and then Nino had found some people to sing them for an album.

Marinette had first heard the song included in his mix during class. He had been showing Adrien and Alya, and she had been privileged enough to be included in that mix. Adrien, as the best friend, got the first listen before Alya got to steal Nino's headphones and listen. Then, Nino held out his headset and asked: "Want to listen, Marinette?"

She accepted with a smile. As she slid the headphones over her head and started to listen, Nino shifted his weight and twisted his hands nervously.

They were love songs, which was adorable. One was called 'Closer' and was sung by a group of mixologists who Nino was close friends with. They were called 'The Chainsmokers' on the album, and actually sang a couple of songs. Another song was called 'Lucky Strike' by 'Maroon 5', another music group Nino was acquainted with. Nino knew lots of talented individuals. It Marinette a while to get over some of the sexualized messages of a couple songs, but the beat was good and clear, as always. One of Marinette's immediate hits was called: 'Clarity', by Sam Tsui and Kurt Schneider.

Then, hidden at the bottom of the album list was a song called 'Paris' by the Chainsmoker people from 'Closer'. When Marinette hit the song, four vibrating chords lit her heart into a bonfire, and then her bloodstream started to flow into her ears. "We were staying in Paris." The song opened. "To get away from your parents, and I thought 'wow'."

When Marinette handed Nino's headset back, a smile was frozen on her face. "I love them all. Especially Clarity and Paris."

"Oh?" Nino asked, giving her a nervous smile.

"Yeah," Marinette confirmed with a bright smile. "When this comes out, it'll be huge." She patted his shoulder. Alya and Adrien agreed fervently.

"Well." Nino cleared his throat. "It's just, those two songs, and most of these songs actually, were inspired by Ladybug and Chat Noir and their relationship."

Marinette choked. "Relationship?" She stammered.

"Yeah. I know it's not confirmed or anything, but I admire their teamwork and diligence. So I wrote about them. You know: 'if we go down then we go down together' and 'fight fear for the selfish pain it was worth it every time." Nino explained. He straightened up a little under the approving looks from Alya and Adrien. Marinette felt shocked.

"Aye, ahem, exactly how many songs are inspired by Ladybug and Chat Noir?" She asked sweetly.

"Closer, Paris, Lucky Strike, Clarity, Girlfriend, When Can I See You Again, and part of the Sabrina Carpenter Paris track," Nino answered. "What do you think?" He asked.

Marinette felt her smile stretch. "Oh, oh that's great!" She exclaimed. "You've done such a good job!"

"Yeah. I'll totally re-gram your album when you release it!" Adrien said.

Nino let out a deep breath. He held out a fist for Adrien to bump. "Thanks, bro." He said. "I've been really worried the last few weeks. Scared out of my wits. What if Ladybug and Chat Noir don't like them?"

"They will, bro. Totally. You've got some serious talent." Adrien confirmed. Marinette felt like swallowing her entire Adam's apple.

"Yeah, Nino. Your songs are fabulous. I'm sure Ladybug and Chat Noir will love them." Alya said. She elbowed Marinette in the side. A wide, uneasy smile spread across her face quickly.

"Ah, yeah! Yeah, totally! I'm sure Ladybug and Chat Noir will adore all the work you put into them!" Marinette spat out quickly. Her mouth felt like it had before her mom had washed it out with soap a few years back. She kept her smile plastered on her face as all her friends watched her curiously.

"Did you guys do the English assignment? Can I see your responses for number four?" She asked quickly to change the subject. As Alya, Nino, and Adrien began to fish in their backpacks for the relevant paper, Marinette opened her purse to give Tikki a quick worried look. Her kwami rolled her eyes and snuggled back to sleep amidst the cookies.

* * *

Nino's song came out. It broke through into popular spheres all on its own, but radio stations everywhere adopted the top tracks after Adrien re-grammed it and shared a link on Twitter. The lead single, Paris, hit number five on charts in Paris. At first, Marinette convinced herself to keep calm. Nino didn't reveal the inspiration for the song, and no one had to know that she and her partner had inspired the song. Then, Alya wrote a blog post about the album:

"You may be surprised to know a leading Parisian hit sang by the Chainsmokers with music from Nino Lahiffe was inspired by our favorite cat/bug team and the dynamics displayed in their partnership! Leading singles from the album include 'Paris', 'Closer', and 'Clarity' came from inspiration garnered by the city's protectors. And it makes sense, just look at the lyrics:

'We were staying in Paris… and I thought: Wow. If I could take this in a shot right now… Out on a terrace, I don't know if it's fair but I thought how could I let you fall by yourself, while I'm wasted with someone else.'

According to one of the songwriters and the mixologist himself, the 'someone else' is not referring to the idea that Chat or Ladybug may have a significant other in their day-to-day lives(Though that is possible with as little as we know about them), but the idea that they put their lives on the line and some days it is a possibility that "if they sacrifice themselves to keep the other safe, they may not be able to go home to family and friends that day". Wow, harsh statement, right?

Of course, the chorus of the lead single is also entirely suggestive to LB and CN. 'If we go down then we go down together. They'll say you could do anything, they'll say that I was clever. We'll get away with everything, let's show them we are better." What better way to describe the fight against the evil Hawkmoth? Both Chat and Ladybug are extremely clever, and they've already proven that together, they can do anything.

Lyrics from Clarity that pertain to the duo include: "Fight fear for the selfish pain; it was worth it every time… You are the piece of me I wish I didn't need, chasing relentlessly; I still fight and I don't know why. And, of course, the infamous chorus."

Closer is more inspired by Nino's real-life romance, but several parts of it still pertain to Ladybug and Chat Noir including: "I know it breaks your heart", and "You look as good as the day I met you."

Nino Lahiffe's first album is a real catch. Check it out for all of it's amazing, in-depth songs and stay tuned for more information, Ladybloggers!'

The song blew up.

Everyone everywhere seemed to be adopting it as 'the official LadyNoir song'. Magazines reported it, TV Shows talked about it, and every night Marinette fell asleep listening to someone in Paris playing it too loud. Where was Officer Rodger when you needed him? The radio played it over and over. At school, it was all anyone could talk about. Their desk was always crowded as everyone tried to talk to Nino. Marinette was really happy for her friend, but she wished he'd stuck to writing about Alya and himself, not her and Chat.

Some good friend she was, right?

* * *

Ladybug landed on the top of a flat-roofed building overlooking the Louvre. Down in front of the museum, people were dancing. Red solo cups, which was apparently an American trend, were being passed around. The drinks were a variety of soda-pops, but she wouldn't put it past them to lace their drinks.

It was nighttime, and most of Paris was asleep. She wasn't because she had a hankering to get out into the open air. And to be fair, it did feel wonderful to be able to take a deep breath and reset outside. The song had been reverberating in her skull. Paris, Paris, Paris. Over and over.

Someone landed on the rooftop behind her, even though it wasn't much of a guess who. How many people actually had the capability to land on rooftops. Yeah, a solid two, not counting akumas. She turned around. Chat would have blended into the shadows if not for his blonde hair and pale skin. She smiled tiredly at him. "Evening, Chaton."

"It is evening." He confirmed, stalking forward with a curious look. "Very late evening, actually. Don't Ladybugs need their beauty sleep?"

Marinette laughed. "If that were true, you'd be fighting the night akumas by yourself." She flicked his bell half-heartedly. "I am tired though," She told him.

"Euro for your thoughts?" He asked, pouncing upon the guardrail of the building and looking down at the crowds below. Several people noticed him and began to wave excitedly. Chat waved back, then turned his attention to Ladybug.

"Something a little silly, I guess." Ladybug murmured. Down below, the beat cut and a new song spliced into the tune. Ladybug let out a colossal groan and buried her head in her hands. "I hate this song!" She complained.

Chat jumped back like he'd been shocked. He frowned sadly at her, tail twitching. "You do?" He asked.

Marinette sighed. "No, I don't - the person who wrote it… he put a lot of effort into it, I just wish he hadn't written it about us."

"Ruined your vibe?"

"Yeah. And it's so overplayed now too." Ladybug sighed and rubbed her eyes.

"I happen to love it." Chat said, smiling. "May I have this dance?"

Ladybug frowned. "To this song? The 'official LadyNoir Song'?" She made air quotes.

Chat extended his hand. The moonlight glinted off his hair as he smiled at her. She examined his buckteeth and listened to his bell tinkle softly. Then she smirked and took his hand. Chat jumped off the barrier.

" _We were staying in Paris."_ He smiled. " _To get away from your parents and I thought: Wow."_ He took both her hands and began to swing her in and out. The crowd's noise levels lowered to a dull roar in her ears. He let go of one hand, slipped it behind her back, and twisted her into a pretzel under his arm. Ladybug laughed, and then sang along with him, softly.

" _If I could take this in a shot right now, I don't think that we could work this out."_

" _Out on a terrace."_ Chat whirled their arms above their heads. He took one hand, spun her into his grasp, lead her in a quick circle and let her go again. Ladybug examined his footwork.

"You know Triple Step?"

"Could ask you how you know what that is." Chat laughed.

Ladybug furrowed her brow. She took both of Chat's hands. "Try me." She demanded.

As the song continued to play down below, Chat and Ladybug danced. Ladybug was clumsy, but she had a good grasp of the concept and was determined. Nothing Chat tried made her falter. By the time the song had gotten to the part about cigarettes and the internet, Ladybug had forgotten why she hated it in the first place.

They were at least ten stories in the air under a full moon and a partially cloudy sky. Two superheroes who were dancing to their ship song who were not dating. Marinette had a feeling she'd wonder about this later.

When the song ended, Chat took her hand from where he'd spun her in a quick circle and kissed her palm. Ladybug couldn't stop the blush that spread across her cheeks. Sure, it was common behavior for him, but there was something about the moonlight and his eyes that had it seem more sincere than usual. She smiled.

"Goodnight m'lady." He said.

"Sleep well, Chaton." She bid him. He pulled his baton out from behind his back and with a final salute whipped away. As soon as he was out of sight, Ladybug whipped out her yo-yo and zipped down under the crowd. They cheered and screamed as she zoomed back into the air to return home. As she climbed back into her room, she was humming a very familiar tune.

Her phone buzzed with Alya exclaiming the latest breaking news: Ladybug and Chat had totally danced to their song over by the Louvre! Marinette smiled softly and sang to herself as she tried to contain her friend's excitement.

 _If we go down, then we'll go down together. They'll say he could do anything, and they'll say that she was clever._


End file.
